Liverpool’s tough run in the Premier League continued after a 3–2 defeat to Brentford, and once again, the talking point centered on VAR. The most heated moment came in the second half when Virgil van Dijk was judged to have tripped Dango Ouattara right on the edge of the box — a decision that changed the entire momentum of the match.
Initially, referee Tim Robinson awarded a free kick to Brentford, but after VAR took a closer look, it was revealed that the contact occurred right on the penalty line — officially part of the area. That upgrade from a free kick to a penalty gave Igor Thiago the chance to make it 3–1 for the hosts, a goal that ultimately proved decisive despite Mohamed Salah’s late strike for the Reds.
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher later weighed in on the incident during Sky Sports’ Ref Watch, insisting the VAR made the correct call — but admitted that such a decision would’ve been impossible to spot in real time.
> “That’s one of those penalties you only see with VAR,” Gallagher explained. “The foul was on the line, and the line belongs to the penalty area — so it has to be a penalty. Without technology, you’d never catch that with the naked eye.”
Not everyone agreed, though. Ex-QPR striker Jay Bothroyd, also on the show, felt that Ouattara had been “clever” rather than fouled, suggesting the Brentford man initiated contact.
> “It’s smart from him — he’s going away from goal and just moves the ball before Van Dijk can react. Technically it’s a foul, but it’s soft,” Bothroyd commented.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot was visibly frustrated on the sidelines and later voiced his disappointment during the post-match interview. The Dutchman hinted at inconsistency in refereeing after his side were denied a penalty of their own when Cody Gakpo went down in the opposite box.
> “If I say it was soft, I hope it’s not seen as an excuse — but it really was,” Slot said. “We had one at the other end where Cody was clearly brought down, and it wasn’t even checked. If both incidents were shown to referees around the world, I think more would have given the penalty to us.”
With this defeat, Liverpool’s slump deepens — four straight league losses — and questions around officiating decisions continue to dominate the post-match discussions.
Leave a Reply